Spanish Olive Oil
What Do We Call Spanish Olive Oil?
Olive oil appeared in Spain around the 1st millennium BC.
Presumably, the Phoenicians introduced the ancestors of modern Spaniards to the olive tree.
After the Romans finally conquered the Iberian Peninsula in the 1st century BC, Spain became the main supplier of olive oil for the Roman Empire.
Spanish olive oil was considered the best in the empire and was very expensive.
This tradition continues to this day, but with the only difference.
Now Spanish olives are delivered to Italian industrial olive oil mills where they turn into something labeled Spanish extra virgin olive oil.
You say what's wrong here? Why not send raw materials closer to the consumer to make the product cheaper?
Yes, it is normal practice when a car is assembled in a factory located thousands of miles away from where the parts were made.
But this doesn't work in extra virgin olive oil production.
One of the main conditions for the production of real extra virgin olive oil is the freshness of the olives.
Olives only live from several hours to one day from the moment of harvest.
And that's why olive oil can be called Spanish only if it is produced by olive oil manufacturers in Spain.
Olive Oil Production in Spain
Nowadays, like 2000 years ago, Spain produces around 50% of the olive oil in the world and is the world leader of olive oil production.
About 800 million olive trees grow in the world, of which more than 300 million are in Spain.
In Spain, the main olive region is the province of Jaen in Andalusia.
More than 70 million olive trees grow here and 20% of the world's olive oil is produced from these olives.
Olive oil production in Spain is so important that in 1959 the International Olive Council was established in Madrid.
This organization claims its mission to expand the international trade in olive oil and table olives, to develop and update trade standards for products and to improve quality. Unfortunately, it's still not able to counteract olive oil fraud.
Spanish Olive Oil in Our Collection
In our collection, Spanish olive oil is represented by products from the Deortegas family, which grows olives in the region of Murcia.
The Deortegas family produces premium organic extra virgin olive oil from four olive varieties: Picual, Hojiblanca, Cornicabra and Arbequina.
Picual is one of the most popular Spanish olives varieties.
It’s a medium sized olive fruit with elliptical-asymmetric shape.
Picual olives are harvested unripe and only used for oil production.
This olive variety has a high yield of oil, usually more than 20%.
Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil Deortegas Picual has a distinct tough and bitter taste, and strong fruity flavour with shades of fresh grass and tomato.
This olive oil has a great feature - its high resistance to oxidation and thickening.
So if you need olive oil for frying, Deortegas Picual is the best choice.
Hojiblanca is also typical Spanish olive variety.
The Hojiblanca olive has medium size and symmetrical oval shape.
The olives are harvested late, when are fully ripe.
As usual, its yield of oil is not more than 15%.
The Hojiblanca olives are used both as table olives and for olive oil production.
Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil Deortegas Hojiblanca has a gentle grass and intense fruit flavour with touches of green apple and almond.
The taste is soft, spicy and slightly bitter.
Cornicabra is a medium sized olive with elongated shape and beautiful dark red color.
Cornicabra olive tree produces olives with high yield (about 20%) of oil.
It is a medium sized olive with elongated shape and beautiful dark red color.
Cornicabra is used both for table olives and oil production.
Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil Deortegas Cornicabra has a rich fruity aroma with a very intense spicy taste. It has a sweet start and bitter, peppery finish.
The main feature of Cornicabra olive oil is the highest in the world (about 80%) content of polyphenols.
Arbequina olive variety is named after city of Arbeca (Arbequa) in the province of Lleida, in Catalonia.
These small green olives have a round symmetrical shape.
Arbequina olives are mostly used for olive oil production though they are also good table olives. They are ripened early and have a high yield of oil.
Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil Deortegas Arbequina has intense bright green color, fresh and saturated aroma with a touch of green apple, banana and almond.
Unlike most of Spanish olive oils the taste Deortgas Arbequina is soft, sweet and gentle, which makes this oil ideal for desserts.
Visit our olive oil collection, learn more interesting details and buy premium organic olive oils from Spain.